Commandeer
by xStaticxTelevisionx
Summary: Based on Mad Earl's "Your mine and only, forever". Ace is the commander of the Queen's Royal Guard. He meets Alice at a mandatory ball one night, and quickly becomes enamored with her. He attempts to pursue a romantic relationship after her tragic heartbreak, but upon being rejected...well, she finds out he's not quite stable the hard way. Yandere time!
1. Chapter 1

**I know I probably shouldn't be starting yet ANOTHER story, but this one is special. I wrote it in collaboration with The Mad Earl. The idea belongs to her, I'm simply taking it for a test-drive. If you would like to go take a look at the original, it's called "Your mine and only, forever."**

 **Enjoy, and Ms. Mad Earl, I hope I do your thoughts justice!**

 **-Static**

 **/*\**

He smiled kindly at the girl before him and made an excuse, having long perfected his escape. He twisted and twirled through the crowd, evading any and all who might wish to speak to him. He refused to interact with these people, not right now, and he'd be damned if any of the imbeciles caught him.

At least, before he downed several glasses of outrageously expensive champagne that is.

He'd always known that being the commander of the Royal Guard - the only one of his peers bearing title of Knight - would come with consequences, but he thought they would present themselves in a drastically different manner. Instead of scars or disfigurements caused by brutal battle wounds, he was gifted with a contrasting penalty.

After almost five years in the army, being the youngest man to ever climb the hierarchy to Commander, and remaining entirely unblemished, he was a greatly admired individual. People told rumors that he was invincible, and that he would never be wounded unless he permitted it. They said he was more intelligent than the greatest battle strategists, and that he was unwaveringly kind, with a smile that could melt the coldest person's heart. He was treated like a noble. Never had he thought he would be so important that he would need diplomatic skills, or tolerate those who tested him. The only reason he had ever considered the position was because it would allow him to act out his violent impulses with few repercussions.

Certainly not because he wanted to be politely rebuffing all the different girls aiming to court his favor. He had grown to hold status, and it hadn't taken him long to realize that many wanted to be associated with it. Alongside border attacks and assassination attempts, flirtations were also an annoyance for him to fend off.

He wondered if any of them would dare approach him if they knew the truth. The thought made him want to laugh.

He had managed to get a slight bit tipsy before anyone else got to him through the dancers and the socializers, and he was grateful for it. If he had to deal with any more stupidity sober, then he just might have lost what little was left of this night's sanity reserve.

It would have been very bad if he were to kill any of these people in the midst of such a crowd. The Queen would have had a marvelously difficult time trying to cover up such a massacre. He sipped from his drink again and mentally prepared himself as a father-daughter duo approached him.

Luckily, the girl who stood before him now was somewhat tolerable. It was clear that she was just as reluctant to speak to him as he was to her. That made him feel a little better, it was good to know that he wasn't the only one who found this "marriage alliance" business pretentious. However, despite her good nature and decent humor, he still wasn't all that interested. It certainly didn't help her case when her father turned out to be one of the most obnoxious people the Knight had ever had the displeasure of meeting. "Sara" this and "Sara" that. Yes, he gets it, she's a lovely girl who deserves to marry up.

Not his problem.

Couldn't these people at least have the decency to be subtle?

He smiled cheerfully and nodded for the man to go on, but he had started to tune him out. Only one hour left. One more hour to endure, and it was all over. He could return to his apartment behind the castle walls in peace, and he might get to be left alone for a few months. Just one more hour...

That was when something, or rather someone, crashed into his side, completely blindsiding him.

"I'm sorry!" She squeaked, as the man just barely managed to keep his drink from spilling, "I'm so sorry! I tripped! Please excuse me!" And she dashed off in the other direction, not sparing him a second glance.

However he couldn't stop his gaze from following her. The simple fact that she had surprised him was enough to capture his undivided attention. She wasn't equipped for a ball, far too casual, in boots and striped stockings and a simple blue dress. She wore the blond silk of her hair plainly, nothing more than a simple bow tied in. What interested him most, however, was the memory of the look that had glimmered in her eyes. Fearful, and apologetic, but still irked, as though it were somehow _his_ fault she had run into him.

His own irises watched as she disappeared out the door, and he only half-listened as the man ranted about how rude she had been.

"Faffing about in the presence of the Royal Guard, Sir Ace no less. How imbecile!" The Commander turned back to his present company.

"My sincerest apologies, but duty calls." He gave the father and daughter pair a regretful smile, and started pushing through the crowd, vanishing in plain sight before the older man could utter a word of protest. He whirled on his daughter.

"You need to be more talkative." He scolded. She covertly rolled her eyes,

"Yes father." She murmured, knowing he would not pick up on her sarcasm.

/*\

The man - disadvantageously clad in a white suit - followed the girl into the dusk. He bolted out of the castle and watched a flicker of blue vanish into the woods. For reasons he didn't quite understand himself, he just had to know who she was, and so he continued after her. Quietly, so as not to be caught.

It would look ridiculously bad if it was found out that he had followed a girl home, at night, after a party. The Queen would most certainly have his head for that.

She glanced back a few times, as though she could feel someone watching her. She was starting to get paranoid, and her pursuer was feeling tenser all the time. As good as he was, he couldn't take the chance that she might see him. Not until he got what he wanted at the very least.

Ace watched as she left the woodland trail and entered the city, looping around blocks through alleyways and down streets. The Knight was starting to feel a little...disappointed. She was starting to enter the less-nice parts of town. Was she a prostitute? No, no...tasteless tattoos did not litter her skin, and her clothing was too innocent and fine for street walking. No she had come out here for a different reason, and that reason was made quite clear when she stopped at an unremarkable door and knocked, the rhythm more akin to a code than a casual visit.

The door opened and he watched a man step forward. Maybe the same height as himself, dark hair, pasty skin, and impassive green eyes.

He greeted her enthusiastically, and gently caressed the girl's face, making her blush and avert her gaze. Clearly, she had an emotional attachment to him but...watching his body language the Knight could tell the feeling was not mutual. His muscles were relaxed and lazing, and though he smiled for the girl, his eyes spoke clearly of disappointment, quickly replaced with boredom. This visit with her was a habit, a routine, nothing more.

As Ace watched her go inside with the other man, he had to wonder why he felt so indignant on the girl's behalf.

/*\

When hinges creaked, not fifteen minutes later, Ace poked his head out to see that she had emerged again. Not nearly enough time for anything too intimate to happen, but definitely plenty to justify the pink shadows on her cheeks and the disarray of her hair. She looked so happy, and Ace had managed to hide around the corner of the building, just close enough to catch her name.

"Goodbye, Miss Alice Liddell," the man spoke with mock-propriety, good humor and kindness lacing his voice. "I hope to see you again." And she giggled, her soft reply too quiet for the Knight to hear, and she was off, the door closing and her tiny boots clicking as she skipped along, returning home no doubt. Satisfied, Ace went his own way, strolling back to the castle.

Alice Liddell. So that was her name. As long as he had that, he would have absolutely no issue finding her now.

 **/*\**

 **I know this first chapter is a bit short for one of my intros, but like almost every other thing I've written, this is going to be a multi-chapter story. The Mad Earl originally wrote this in a poetry/mystery form. I'm simply delving a little deeper into the emotional complexities within the relationships of the characters within her story line. (WITH HER PERMISSION!) Let me know what you guys think!**

 **-Static**


	2. Chapter 2

**What up?**

 **-Static**

 **/*\**

The days after the ball alone were meticulous. Ace took the Queen's orders, carried them out, and returned to his small home, exhausted and in need of a long shower. In the weeks that passed, he could not get even two minutes of spare time, but then, he would need far more than two minutes for the plans he wanted to make.

Alice Liddell.

It was just as well. She would probably be just as ditzy as the rest of the girls who commonly threw themselves at him, though she seemed to have a bit more rebelliousness. Even if she wasn't, she was already attached. Ultimately, she was untouchable, whether he liked it or not.

No, she was off-limits. He needed to forget about her, but for whatever odd reason, her image had implanted itself in his mind. He had seen prettier girls, certainly, but then for a aristocrat daughter she was not bad-looking. She didn't have the large nose or the pretentious clothes or the bland hair color. He had been unable to fully determine the shape of her figure, through her unusually young clothes, but though he had seen better, he had also definitely seen worse. Instead of a generically courteous smile, she had looked at him politely, but with irritation clearly spattered across her face.

Yes, that had to be it. The only reason he remembered her was because she acted different. She had known who he was - everyone in the bloody kingdom did - but she had shown no reservations. Instead of being coerced into speaking with him of boring and trivial matters, she had disregarded him. It had been as though he were a peasant she had met on the street, rather than one of the most respected individuals within the kingdom.

He found he did not like the feeling.

 _That's what I get._ He thought to himself, _I tell myself time and again that I hate the attention, and once I'm treated as a mere passerby, I have the audacity to feel offended._

Softly laughing at himself, he stood up and walked to the bathroom, stripping off a piece of clothing with each step.

He _really_ needed that shower.

/*\

Finally, at long last, a day off. Ace could relax. Though normally he wasn't much one for reading, he felt in the mood for some alone time. He liked the other soldiers well enough, certainly, but even someone as friendly as him needed his space.

He chose a book off the shelf and lightly tossed it on one of the cushions of his couch, blinking sleepily at the sunlight radiating through the window. Next, he moved to the cupboards to see what he might be able to scrounge up for breakfast. As he gazed over the shelves, and took inventory of his supplies, he dropped his eyes. No matter what idea came to mind, there was something missing from his meager stores. He sighed in defeat.

Of course, today just had to be the day he ran out of food.

/*\

In order to cut through to town, Ace had to travel through the woods. The day was nice enough. The sun was out and shining, not a cloud in sight. The rays of light pushed through the leaves of each and every tree, giving the illusion of a world entirely tinted green. Small animals could be heard in the underbrush, and birds sang their hearts out. It was really too bad that he was feeling so lethargic. It was a lovely day for camping.

He was halfway down the trail, lost in these musings when a different sound caught his attention. It was definitely a person. No animal would attempt to silence itself, not that way, and he was pretty sure they didn't cry. Then it came again, that muffled sound of soft weeping. It sounded like a girl.

Ace stood still for several minutes, thinking over what action he might want to take. It would be the right thing to do, if he were to investigate what was going on, but at the same time...he had no interest in encouraging people.

 _But..._ He thought, _I don't want to be a bad guy. If I ignore it, then I'm proving that I'm not a good person on some level._ And it was true. Though there were...'incidents' within the city, Ace did not consider himself a genuinely bad human being. He knew the difference between right and wrong, and to ignore the sobbing in the middle of the woods could end up being dangerous for whoever was crying. Therefore, to carry on would be wrong. He veered off the trail.

The tiny hiccups were easy to detect, but as the Knight got closer and closer, the small noises started to quiet. It was as if she was too tired to shed any more tears, and so Ace started looking at the ground. He knew how to track, and though most of the time his targets were game animals, he had no issue locating the girl.

After almost fifteen minutes of traipsing through the woods, he finally pushed aside a few low-hanging branches, and came across a tree. It was one of the largest in this forest, and curled up at it's base among the roots, was her.

For a moment he had no idea how to react. He had only interacted with her once, in a rather awkward manner, and the experience was so brief, he himself had never gotten the chance to actually speak to her.

Alice Liddell. The girl whose image refused to leave the recesses of his mind.

Was this coincidence or was there some sort of reason the Universe had decided to present her to him once more?

Either way, he needed to take action. She had passed out under the tree, curled up in a fetal position. Her arms were wrapped around her torso tightly, and the striped stockings of her knees met her forehead. It was as if she were trying to protect herself from something.

After a brief inspection, Ace determined that there was nothing physically wrong with her. There had been no fight, for she bore no injuries to her person nor clothing. She had been crying for a different reason, and now he needed to wake her up.

"Hey," He murmured, gently prodding her shoulder. "Hey," his voiced increased in volume just a little, and he had pried her arm from her waist. "Miss, you must wake up now."

Her eyes flew open and she jumped, lurching away from him and slamming her back into the tree bark.

"What-!"

"Shh," he cooed, "Shh, it's alright. My name is Ace. I'm-"

"I know who you are." She briskly interrupted. "Why are you holding my arm?" He let go, and held his hands up in surrender.

"My apologies," he responded smoothly, "I heard you crying, and when I found you, you had fallen asleep on the forest floor. I thought it might not be wise to leave you here, should a man of a less virtuous nature find you." She bristled,

"I did not fall asleep." She retorted, "I was simply...resting. I wasn't crying either."

Needless to say, Ace was fascinated. Where many girls might have asked to sob into his shoulder, she shied away from him. She held her head high, fueled by female pride, and glared at him, daring him to contradict her.

Challenge accepted.

"These say otherwise." And he gently traced his index finger from the corner of her eye down to her chin. Tear stains, trailing lines down her face. She looked down, and huffed.

"...Even if I was crying, why does that matter? I'm awake now, I'll return home soon. There is no need for you to inconvenience yourself further."

In other words...go away.

 _It will not be anywhere near that simple._ The man mentally stated.

"Come now," he chastised, "What kind of knight would I be if I just left you out here all alone?" And he spoke with such seriousness, such appallment, that she had to look up to his face. Scarlet eyes went wide with horror, his mouth shaped into a soft O, but the expression was exaggerated. He was clearly trying to keep from laughing, and it looked so odd and so awkward, that through her annoyance with him she could not help but to giggle.

"I suppose it would make you kind of a lame knight." He grinned,

"Exactly, now might I have the honor of knowing this beautiful young woman's name?" He asked flirtatiously, gesturing to her person. It would seem awfully creepy if he let it slip that he knew the name of a complete stranger. She raised a perfect blond eyebrow. In spite of her earlier emotional distress, she couldn't keep down the urge to say something.

"Get me home safely and maybe I'll tell you." She answered haughtily, and promptly stood up, and started walking.

/*\

The Knight wasn't too surprised to see that Alice lived in a nice neighborhood. He _was_ surprised when she led him into Titania Estates. Only relatives of the royal family were allowed to live in this neighborhood, as it was close to the castle and relatively easy to protect.

He idly wondered how many people would have to die in order for the girl to ascend the throne.

It wasn't much longer until she stopped in front of a house, and Ace made a point to commit it to memory. It was three stories tall, white with pinkish-red trim, and several windows made of stained glass. There was a decently-sized flower garden off to the right, and on the left were rows upon rows of edible plants. Lush lawns neatly framed a pale brick pathway from the street to the front door, and the shingles of the roof were a darker shade of brown. The number on the mailbox was 1865, and the house itself was sat on Carroll Drive.

Ace got the feeling that he'd need to remember this place.

Then the girl beside him moved, and he once again focused his attention on her.

"Well, I ought to be going in." She stated softly, almost...reluctantly? She took a small step forward when Ace caught her arm.

"You forgot something." And when she tilted her head at him questioningly, he sighed and rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner. "Your name?" Her expression cleared up.

"My name is Alice, Alice Liddell."

"Well, Alice Liddell. If you might be open to the idea...might I see you again? Preferably under happier circumstances?" He joked, lightly tapping the fading stripe on her cheek. Her eyes narrowed. Whoops, maybe he should have been a little more sensitive...

"I suppose." She answered, and after agreeing on a day and a time, he finally turned and went his own way.

/*\

Once Ace had returned home, he changed back into his pajamas - if he was going to laze about he might as well be comfortable - and he proceeded to read the book he'd left on the couch hours earlier. As his eyes flickered over paragraph after paragraph, he soon realized he'd skimmed over ten pages, entirely unable to recall what he'd just read. He set the book on the coffee table and sighed.

Alice was interesting, there was no denying that. At the same time...he didn't want to expect too much from her. She had only agreed to an outing with him out of courtesy, and he wagered she'd be exactly that, a she. In his experience, common women were exceedingly fickle creatures, noblewomen even more so. They had no responsibility, and were raised with the notion that they would be taken care of, from the cradle and their fathers, to the grave with their husbands. Though that was the fault of a flawed society rather than their own selves...they had no concept of what life really was. Put quite simply...

He didn't think he'd have anything in common with Alice.

It wasn't worth dwelling on. Her Majesty had insisted that he take interest in _someone_ , if only for the time being.

Perhaps he'd be lucky, and she would remain interesting.

 **/*\**

 **Heyyy so another chapter for Commandeer. I feel really nervous about this. This, technically, is not my plot-line, and if you read the original - written by The Mad Earl - you'll see that I changed something, rather significantly. I really hope she doesn't mind...**

 **-Static**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey there. I recently got addicted to an anime I previously had no knowledge of. Noragami. How did I not know something that awesome existed?**

 **But yeah, so that's why I haven't been here. I binge watched the episodes, and repeated about ten times.**

 **-Static**

 **/*\**

Blood flowed into the sewer gutters like miniature rivers, red streams occasionally breaking out into the street. The corpses of fourteen people were neatly displayed in a circle, at which he was the center. The nighttime hiss of crickets and yowls of stray cats had eliminated the minuscule noise of the battle - none of his opposers had obtained even a second to speak or shoot a gun - and his subordinates looked on, detached. Uneasy, but long since accustomed to such gruesome sights. They had quickly learned that as long as they stayed loyal and quiet, they would not be met with such fates.

The boss sheathed his sword, and turned to look at his men, simultaneously embarrassed and amused.

"Looks like I've got you on clean-up duty again, huh?" He questioned apologetically.

/*\

Alice put down the paper and sipped at her tea a little nervously. Today she was supposed to meet up with the knight, from the castle. Normally, making arrangements like this with a new acquaintance was nothing she would get nervous over. In fact, it would look weird if she did. Meetings of all kinds were fairly average things for someone of her social stature to do, but that was part of the issue. Even for someone like her, a noble related to the royal family, it wasn't exactly normal for one of her run-of-the-mill first dates to gain so much attention.

The day she had returned from the forest, Alice had explained to her sister that a kind gentleman (yeah right) had escorted her home after she'd made the mistake of getting lost in the woods. Naturally, her sister had not approved. Didn't Alice know better than to go around and follow strange men? She'd gone off on a lecture that was sure to have been hours long if the girl hadn't interjected.

"Relax, Lorina. It was just the knight." Was all she had to say. Her sister stopped dead in her tracks.

"What? The knight? As in _the_ knight?!" The reaction seemed a little...over-dramatic. Especially for Lorina Liddell. Feeling a bit more uneased than nonchalant at this point, Alice confirmed the woman's words.

"Yes, Sir Ace, from the castle." One second passed, then two, then three. Lorina was staring at her, as if trying to process her words, and then a huge grin broke out across the woman's face.

Lorina had been delighted. After all this time, and all this fuss, Alice was finally starting to live up to her duties as a lady. Yes, there was still a _lot_ of work to be done on the middle child, but still...she had not outright rejected the man. More than that, she hadn't gone out of her way to reject him for his high stature. Maybe her rebellious phase was nearing it's end? Either way, it was progress.

So Lorina, too happy for words, told a couple of friends this happy news, who in turn told their friends, who told their friends.

Rumors had spread like wildfire, and in all sincerity, it made Alice want to cancel her plans with Ace, but it was too late. He was supposed to come get her in just an hour, and it would be incredibly rude to throw in the towel this close to their appointment. With no favorable options to choose from, she put up with the light makeover her sister gave her, and when it was over, hid away in a quiet spot while her father and two sisters dithered around downstairs, wondering if the knight would really show up on their doorstep.

And indeed he did.

Alice had retreated to a spot within the attic. She was at the very top of the house, sitting on the bench she had set up with a couple of pillows and blankets by the window. Her nose had been stuck in a quite riveting book when she heard the bell ring, and then the sound of alarmed and surprised voices as the door was answered. She was too far away to make out any actual words, but an educated guess told her that her family was calling for her.

She placed her bookmark in the pages, and set the object down, reluctantly stepping towards the door.

/*\

When the Queen heard, she had been very pleased with the news. She knew about Ace's...peculiarities. She knew that the serial killings that had all of her people on edge were him, and she knew that he would not stop any time soon, making the cover-ups harder and harder with each ill-dealt-with massacre. What was more, he was completely inappropriate at gatherings (even the stupidest child could see he was never sober), he would not socialize outside the castle, and he refused to meet with the older nobles of the kingdom to set up a marriage alliance. He shopped for himself and cleaned his own apartment, making the servants take too much notice of him, and though he behaved friendly and harmless enough, it took but a few interactions to see it was not sincere.

It was almost as if he _wanted_ to stick out in this absurd way, and if it continued, then it could lead to her complete and utter ruination. After all, why would they allow her to continue her rule if they knew the leader of her personal guard was - she thought to herself - f*cking crazy.

So to hear that he was finally taking interest in a girl - one of decent birth even - was a huge relief. He was at last making an attempt to appear normal. The Queen could let out a puff of the breath she'd been holding. Maybe, just maybe, he'd had enough?

/*\

The first outing with Alice Liddell had been a lot of things, but to his immense delight, the one thing it was not was "boring".

On that note, however, it had started rather...awkwardly. The moment Ace rang that doorbell, hissing voices could be heard, and the knob twisted open as an older man gawked up at him, absolutely shocked. Naturally, Ace felt a little unnerved by the reception.

It had been clear, that week ago, that she was reluctant to accept his offer of an outing. Had she not told her family about today?

Her father had absolutely no idea what to say. His mouth opened and closed like a dying fish, and he looked as though he had no clue what to do. He didn't even seem to be sure of the proper etiquette for addressing someone with such high standing. After attempting to speak several sentences, all botched by a nasty case of nerves and stuttering, he hung his head and vanished, leaving a woman to take his place.

This was where it started to get a little interesting. The woman was clearly older than Alice, maybe in her early-mid twenties, but definitely far too young to be her mother. So, either a cousin or sister. Obviously, there had to be a dramatic reason for a mother to not see her child off on such an outing. He made a mental note to ask Alice about it later, and then footstep emanated from the stairwell, and he felt his heart sink a little.

She was beautiful, absolutely. She was rather stunning, but she looked...wrong.

Gone was the tomboy dress and the contrasting color of her Mary Janes. Instead, she wore a proper evening gown with puffed-shoulder sleeves. Floor-length, and in her favored shade of blue with an exaggerated waist (how was she _breathing?_ ) and a neckline that subtly enhanced her bust. Her simple ribbon had been pulled out of her hair, and it instead fell in loose curls around her shoulders, with a hat pinned into the blonde locks. He could hear the faint click of stilettos on the wood of the stairs, and her cheeks were red from pinching.

Pretty, certainly, but...disappointingly generic. The ensemble was entirely lacking in character, reflecting popular trends rather than personality. Ace might have been inclined to call it off then and there if it had not been for the girl's body language. She hid under her hat, unwilling to meet his eyes, and her arms were loosely crossed over her torso, protecting herself and hiding the fancy cloth. Her fingers lightly played with the fabric of her dress, unconsciously trying to pull the hem up higher - was she really wearing her stockings with her strappy heels? - and she chewed on her lip.

Her newfound appearance had not been her choice, and that was her saving grace. Ace smiled deceptively sweetly and offered his hand.

"We'll be off now...?" He stated, though the way his voice pitched on the final syllable...it was a question. Though he wasn't all that interested in pleasantries, they were a necessary piece of the puzzle. The Queen would not be happy to hear that he'd made a subject uncomfortable, a relative of the royal family no less. As long as the girl didn't panic or get upset this evening, he would be fine.

Alice gazed up at him with long-suffering eyes, and hesitantly took his hand. She said polite "goodbye's" to her family, and the knight carted her off for their afternoon out.

Though he still placed a bit of hope in her, Ace had made sure to plan on someplace fun. Especially so if she really did turn out to be a common ditz.

 **/*\**

 **So. How was that? Shortest chapter thus far, but that's alright. (In my defense, I'm moving into a dorm in exactly eleven days. I have very little time, cut me some slack! xD)**

 **-Static**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi.**

 **-Static**

 **/*\**

"Oh my god." She whispered, "This..." She turned to him with an enormous grin decorating her face, "Ace, this is _beautiful_."

Alice had been expecting a normal afternoon out. A trip into town, a few hours of shopping, dinner, and then a formal delivery home. While the free things were always nice - she'd managed to persuade her last date to buy her five books - it got a little tedious after a while. Her father had been extremely adamant that _someone_ get married. Edith was still too young, but he was always fixing up Alice and Lorina with some man he knew or heard about. Alice was of the proper age, and Lorina had simply gotten too old to continue living with her father. As a result, Alice had seen every nook and cranny of each and every shop that lined the streets. She knew each bauble, dress, and book. She'd seen all the odd trinkets in the pawn shops, and recognized too many of the patterns in the linen stores.

So, though shopping was not a past-time she detested entirely, she was definitely tired of it. As she stepped reluctantly out of the entryway of her house, she sighed inaudibly. As Ace led her away she let her mind wander. Maybe she could make a game out of the day. No doubt she'd be bored. Her escort was a high-standing man. He was pretty, certainly, but he was a nobleman. The moment she tried to speak to him of the things that interested her, such as philosophy or poetry, he would look down on her with horror and detestment. He would insist that those were not ladylike subjects, and then subtly bring her into a clothing shop, asking if there was anything she might like to have.

Corsets especially.

But then, female undergarments were awfully expensive. A girl could always use a free corset or two. Perhaps that would be her game. See how 'unladylike' her new friend found her, and then attempt to receive as many gifts as she could get from him. Maybe it wasn't the kindest of things to do, but her outing with him had already caused enough commotion before it even started. Just for that, she wasn't sure she'd want to make another date with him. It wasn't until she stepped on something that her attention reverted back to her companion, and she realized something.

He hadn't taken her into town. Her shoe had snapped a twig, and she found herself surrounded by earthy shades of brown and varying hues of emerald green.

For once, it appeared she would get to do something different. For the first time in a long while, Alice felt excited.

"Where are we going?" she asked, and the knight only smiled.

"You'll see."

/*\

After almost an hour of traipsing through the woods, Alice started contemplating all the different ways she could brutally murder Ace.

"Are we there yet?" She growled. He had dragged her through the forest, up hills and through bushes, while she was wearing some of the nicest clothing she owned. However, she didn't care that much about the dirt stains or even some of the tears in her pretty dress. No she was angry, but it had more to do with her feet. She had done all of these things in stilettos, and if it wasn't bad enough that she was unused to wearing such shoes, she was being forced to hike in them. Needless to say, her feet _really_ hurt.

And for some reason, Ace wasn't picking up on that.

"Come on, you can't be _that_ impatient?" He questioned mockingly. So far he felt he'd been proven right. She wasn't as loud as some of the other women he'd been set up with. In fact, she had been rather quiet for most of the journey. The only times she spoke were to ask when they'd get there, or to mutter to herself. She had nothing positive or insightful to say, not even a comment on the weather.

She was boring.

That was when he felt something hit the back of his head. Had...had she actually thrown something at him? When he turned again, he saw that she was bent over collecting several more pebbles, getting ready to throw them at him. She teetered slightly on her feet, and had to correct her balance more than once. It was more than entertaining to watch.

He was not unfamiliar with having women throw things at him, but this was the first time that it had been something other than a shoe.

"What are you doing?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. She straightened and huffed, the pebbles clutched tightly in her left hand.

"Trying to get your attention!" She snarled. He "tsk"ed in response.

"Come on Alice," he said, deciding to let a bit of his warped and rude humor show through, "We're completely by ourselves. It's not like some other woman is waiting to steal me away from you. It's unbecoming to look so desperate." She only looked at him.

That...was unexpected. Was this guy for real? But then...as rude and out of the blue it was, at least it was different.

"Don't flatter yourself." She deadpanned, "I was just trying to tell you that I don't mind the hike, but you need to take into consideration that I am not, in fact, wearing hiking boots. I'm wearing five inch heels, and it's gotten to the point where I cannot take another step. It hurts too much." And with that, she dropped to her knees, staring down at the ground.

Wait. She...was in pain?

"What?" He questioned.

"My feet hurt." She repeated, "They're covered in blisters. If I have to take one more step I may burst into tears, and pardon me for saying so, but I'd rather NOT have you watch that."

Ace was not going to lie. He was at a bit of a loss. Generally, when he took women on this trip, they complained about the dirt and the wildlife. They would become livid with his behavior, and demand to be taken home, before he could even show them the best part. They'd saunter off, angry, and return to their houses, absolutely refusing to see him again. Not once had any of them complained about _pain_.

"Well, I might have some first aid supplies on me." He stated, and then searched through his enormous jacket pockets. It took him but a moment to find what he needed. It wasn't strictly to fix her particular problem, but it would help. He approached the girl and asked her to take off her shoes, and she was all too eager to do so. Then he noticed the red stains on her socks. That wasn't a good sign. Immediately, he requested that she remove her contraband pair of stockings. The look on her face had made him want to burst out laughing. Reluctantly, though without protest, she did so, allowing the knight to see her feet.

No wonder she had refused to walk any longer.

The moment he saw the blood he started to feel just a tad guilty. In this instance, he hadn't actually wanted to hurt her, just anger her. He wanted to see her fume and stomp away, like the spoiled brat that she probably was. In his interactions with some of the previous girls, there had only ever been one he'd actually wanted to kill, but Alice was not her. The numbing agent he'd dug out would do nothing for her. He returned the medicine to his pockets and lifted her up into his arms, bridal style.

"What are you doing?!"

"We need to clean up your feet before I can treat them. They're bleeding."

"Really?!" Without answer, Ace nodded, and started back up the hill.

"There's water where we're going, and it's a shorter walk than heading back. I'll just carry you the rest of the way there."

Alice wanted to protest but...the relief was wonderful. As much as she wanted to demand that the knight set her down and let her be, a great deal of the pain had been alleviated. She no longer felt near tears, but still a dull burning sensation ripped through her feet, and it was not pleasant. It certainly didn't help her morale when she noticed that Ace hadn't been lying. The sight of the red drops dripping from her heels had been enough to force her to swallow her pride and put up with the treatment. Forcing herself to walk when she had such wounds would not help her condition.

/*\

It had taken only ten more minutes for the pair to make it to their destination. Ace had approached the familiar pond and set the girl down on the edge, so that she could dip her feet in. Though her sigh of relief wasn't audible, the relaxing of her muscles made it clear: she felt much better. While she let the cool water wash away the blood, she looked around, taking in her surroundings.

Oh.

The pond itself held the clearest water she had ever seen. Crystal blue, and perfectly translucent. She could see each and every rock at the bottom of the water, and the surface held the prettiest clusters of water lilies. Dragonflies, bright green and blue and orange, darted this way and that. The rocks on the opposite side were surrounded by a tall crescent shaped cliff, decorated with three tall waterfalls. The rest of the cliff face was covered with green grasses and most vivid purple and blue flowers. Behind one of the waterfalls was a small cave, and as she sat on her rock, she couldn't help but to marvel at the sight before her.

"Oh my god." She whispered, "This..." She turned to him with an enormous grin decorating her face, "Ace, this is _beautiful_."

He wasn't quite sure how to respond.

 **/*\**

 **...This didn't make much sense, did it?**

 **-Static**


End file.
